The Truth of Heart
by RaNmA-fReAk1
Summary: Ranma hurts Akane's feelings .... AGAIN! Forcing her to run away, Ranma packs up and follows her trail. But what he finds is the possibility of Akane replacing him! Read and Review to find out who the new fiance is and if Ranma can win Akane back!
1. Ranma's mistake

"Ranma! I'm gonna kill you!" yelled Akane running after the young Martial Artist.  
  
She had overheard him talking about her in gym. She didn't know the exact details on what he said, but according to some of the other girls, it wasn't very good.  
  
"Akane! Will you listen before you jump. . . . WHOA!" said Ranma dodging a swing from Akane's schoolbag.  
  
"What's the point in listening when you're most likely going to lie or insult me about something?! I know you better than THAT Ranma! I'm not falling for it anymore!"  
  
Akane chased Ranma all the way back to the dojo, even there she was still after him. Every time she ran into him, she would give him a short glare and pull out her mallet.  
  
Finally, Akane gave up, but Ranma locked himself in the bathroom for awhile just in case.  
  
*Jeez! About time she stopped! Why can't she just listen to me for once? Everything would be much better! And maybe our little "engagement" would actually go somewhere if she would only . . . *  
  
Ranma shook his head. Thoughts like that have been going through his head ever since Akane and him got engaged and he got to know her a little better.  
  
Rubbing his forehead and taking a deep breathe; he decided that it might be safe to go downstairs now. Carefully opening the bathroom door, he quietly tip-toed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Immediately, the smell of pork, rice, and fried vegetables filled his nostrils.  
  
"Ohhhh! That smells SO good! What time will dinner be ready Kasumi?" asked Ranma as he reached over to take a chunk of pork off of the plate Kasumi had out so it could cool down.  
  
"In about five minutes Ranma, and don't touch that!!!" she said gently yet strictly, slapping Ranma's hand with a hot spatula.  
  
"OW! Okay! Do you know where Akane's at?" asked Ranma sucking on his fingers.  
  
"Yes, she went to the market to get me some soy sauce to put on the pork."  
Ranma sighed a heavy sigh and went into the dining room to find Genma and Soun playing their never ending game of GO!. He rolled his eyes and went out back onto the patio. The sky was clear of clouds and the stars were shining brighter than they ever had before.  
  
Taking a seat on top of the house over Akane's window, Ranma thought about what he DID say about Akane.  
  
** Flashback **  
  
"C'mon Ranma! We all know you've done it! We just want you to admit it! I mean, she's your fiancée right?" asked Daisuke, trying to catch Ranma in a head lock.  
  
"So?! Just because she's my fiancée doesn't mean I've done anything with her! And besides, what pleasure would I get with THAT tomboy? She's got nothin'! I bet she'd rather kill a guy then sleep with one!" yelled Ranma.  
  
All the boys looked at each other and decided that maybe Ranma really DIDN'T do anything with Akane.  
  
In the meantime, two girls who were walking past the boy's locker room overheard every word.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Did you hear that?! We better tell Akane, and fast!" one of them said, rushing to the girls locker room.  
  
Entering the girls' locker room, the two girls sat down to take a breath.  
  
"I have NEVER run that fast in so long."  
  
Everyone looked at them and wondered what was going on. After about five seconds of rest, the girls found Akane.  
"Akane! We just overheard Ranma saying stuff about you and . . . ugh! You tell the rest!" one of them said lightly tapping the other girl who was there.  
  
"Why are you looking at me for? I thought you would remember?" she asked.  
  
"WHAT?! You forgot? Well I don't remember either! Oh never mind! Akane! We don't exactly remember the details, but all we know is Ranma was talking about you . . . . and it wasn't good!"  
  
"Ranma was talking bad about me? No surprise really, he's always saying rude stuff about me, why should this be any different?" asked Akane folding her arms.  
  
"No Akane! This was serious! All I can remember about what he said was that you would rather sleep with guys than be a Martial Artist. Or something like that."  
  
Akane sat still for a moment, clenching her fists.  
  
*I can't believe him! That stupid jerk! He's gonna pay for this!*  
  
After school ended, Akane found Ranma waiting for her at the front gates.  
  
"About time! Jeez you slow poke! What took ya so long?" asked Ranma folding his arms.  
  
Akane looked up at him and frowned. "What took me so long?!?!? WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG?!?!? You want to know what took me so long? I was listening to Yuki and Koki telling me about what YOU said about me in the boys' locker room today! You know? About me wanting to sleep with guys instead of being a Martial Artist!"  
  
"Huh? Oh that! Well, you see Akane, it's really a misunderstanding, you see . . ."  
  
"Ranma! I'm gonna kill you!"  
  
** End Flashback **  
  
Ranma sighed. He knew what he said was rude, but she didn't have to freak out the way she did. If she would've just listened to him in the first place and heard the whole story, maybe she would've understood. Ranma laughed at himself.  
  
*Ha! Yeah right she'd understand! She'd just get even madder about the fact that I'd never sleep with . . . or would I?*  
  
Ranma sat up at slapped himself. All his thoughts about Akane lately have been more abnormal then usual. It's like whenever he thinks about her he just wants to hold her in his arms and never let go. His dreams have gotten more abnormal as well. Every morning he wakes up and thinks Akane is sleeping beside him, like if they've been married for five years.  
  
Shaking his head again Ranma felt like dinner was probably ready by now. As he slowly sat up he heard the sound of thunder.  
  
"Oh great!" he said as freezing cold raindrops fell down on his female form.  
  
"Akane! Time for dinner!" Kasumi called from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Coming!" Akane called back as she opened her bedroom door. She quickly ran down the stairs and walked into the dining room. Everyone was sitting at the table, except for Ranma who had just come in from the rain.  
  
"Oh! Ranma there you are! Dinners's ready and . . . why were you out in the rain like that? You could catch a cold! Go take a quick bath and I'll save you some rice and chicken." Said Kasumi as she rushed Ranma to the stairs.  
  
After Ranma had finished his bath and scarfed down his dinner, he laid back in his bed, his head resting on his pillow. Meanwhile, Akane was practicing her Kenpo skills down in the dojo.  
  
"Ranma! You jerk!" she screamed as she beat the crud out of a straw dummy. "Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! JERK!" she said over and over as the straw dummy fell in pieces.  
Finally stopping, she rested her head against the back wall of the dojo. Breathing heavily.  
  
*Why does he have to be such a loser? I can't believe he would say something like that! I mean I know that I'm not the most girlish girl in school, but he doesn't have to say THAT! If he only knew how much it hurts me when he calls me 'un-cute' and 'sexless'. If he only knew how I felt, how much I care about him, and how much I would give up just for him to show me some respect, some attention every once in awhile. Why does life have to be so unfair?!*  
  
Akane buried her face into her hands and shook almost uncontrollably. This would happen every time Ranma would say something rude or insulting to her. So much pain would pierce her heart that sometimes she would cry herself to sleep, or even start planning acts of suicide. She knew that Ranma didn't care about her, then why was she making such a big deal out of it? Why didn't she just forget and move on? She herself couldn't answer these questions because deep down in her heart she felt strongly towards Ranma. She doesn't LIKE hitting him, but sometimes her anger gets so out of control that her brain ignores what her heart is saying.  
  
"Stop! Why are you hitting the person you love? You should comfort him not beat him! Let him be and listen to what he has to say!"  
  
Akane lifted her head and rested it on her crossed arms, tears streaming down her face. *I can't take it anymore! My HEART can't take it anymore! I'm leaving . . . for good!*  
  
Ranma sat up and looked at the clock, it read 10:47. *Akane should be back from the dojo by now. Heck she's probably asleep already! But I think I should at least check and apologize to her.*  
  
With that thought, Ranma quietly tip-toed out of his room, so he wouldn't wake his snoring father, and stopped at Akane's door.  
Knocking, Ranma said quietly,  
  
"Akane? Are you awake? Akane?"  
  
There was a pause.  
Ranma opened her door slowly and saw that all the lights were off and a nicely made bed.  
  
"Okay? Maybe she's still practicing." Said Ranma as he headed for the dojo.  
  
Opening the dojo doors, Ranma saw that it was also empty.  
  
"Alright! This is getting suspicious!" he said as he ran into the kitchen. He looked all over the house, but didn't see any sign of Akane. Standing back in the kitchen, Ranma thought of where Akane could be, hitting his head on the fridge.  
  
Finally, Ranma noticed a note stuck on the fridge, in Akane's handwriting. Quickly taking it off he read it aloud to himself.  
  
Dear Family and Ranma, I have decided to leave town. I probably won't be coming back and I know most of you will be really upset. Some of you might even be happy that I'm gone. Anyway, I would just like to say that I will miss you all, even you Ranma. And that I'll be fine on my own. I love you daddy! And I promise to write you to let you know that I'm ok! Bye!  
Love, Akane p.s. - I hope you have a good life with Ukyo or Shampoo, Ranma. My best wishes to you and whoever it is you decide to marry.  
  
Ranma fell to his knees. He couldn't believe that Akane was gone. And by the way the letter is written he figured that she thought that he didn't care. He DID care, but he was too much of a coward to say anything or do anything about it.  
  
Hanging his head low, Ranma could feel tears forming in his eyes. What was he going to do without Akane? He wasn't as tough a fighter without her there to give him support. He needed someone to come home to when he left on training trips, someone who would look forward to seeing him, but Akane probably didn't care and maybe that's why she left. Ranma didn't know which idea to stick with. Then it hit him. As he lifted his head up, he smiled to himself.  
  
*I'm gonna go after her! She couldn't have gone far because this ink looks fresh. But how will I tell everyone else? I can't just leave and not say anything, but then again, if I DO say something then they all might think that I like Akane. No, I'll just pack up and go. I'll leave Akane's note behind so that they don't worry about her. But I have to go fast!*  
  
Ranma set the note down on the counter top and quickly ran back up to his room, he grabbed a jacket and ran back down the stairs.  
  
"I better travel light, I can just buy stuff along the way, and I can always go to Ukyo or Shampoo for a meal, I mean they always give me free food." Ranma said to himself as he walked out of the front door and looked at the house he was leaving.  
  
"Well, I don't know when I'll see this house again, but it'll be soon I bet."  
  
With that, Ranma set out to search for Akane and find out why she had left in the first place.  
  
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READ!!! IF YOU WANT ME TO POST UP ANYMORE CHAPTERS YOU MUST FOLLOW WHAT I'M SAYING HERE!!!!!  
  
So? How was it? I've been working on this fic for awhile now and I've only finished 2 chapters! The sad thing is that the only way you'll get me to post up my second chapter is to review! Same thing goes with my other chapters. I'll keep writing the story, but I won't post it if I don't get any reviews so PLEASE review and then I'll post up more chapters to my story! I need at least 10 reviews to be convinced! Thanks! 


	2. Akane gets a crush!

QUICK NOTE: I'm sorry if I sound a little harsh by saying that I want at least 10 reviews or I won't post up another chapter. In the past I would post up my stories and I wouldn't get that many reviews! So the only reason why I ask for reviews (or demand as some put it) is because I want to have a story posted that people actually like. So yeah, I'm not gonna post up a story that has hardly any reviews cause that tells me no one likes it! SO I apologize if I sounded a BIT harsh! Anyways, along with the story . . .  
  
The morning sun peaked over the top of the Japanese mountains. The cold dew begins to fade away as the sun rose higher throughout the morning, waking Akane from her sleep.  
  
"Morning already?! It can't be, I just went to bed not too long ago."  
  
Akane looked at her watch and saw that it read 8:02.  
  
"Oh now I get it! I set up camp around 4:25. That's how it seems like morning came early. Well, I better get my stuff together and keep going. I don't want anyone to catch my trail."  
  
"Exactly, where is your trail headed?" asked a familiar voice.  
  
Akane jumped and quickly got in a battle stance.  
  
"Who's there? Show yourself!" she yelled as a pigtailed boy walked into her tent.  
  
"Huh? Ranma? What . . . what are YOU doing here?" she asked as she lowered her tightly clenched fists.  
  
"I found your note and decided to track you down." He answered putting his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Well there's no point in taking me back home, cause I'm not going back ever again. And I think you should leave!" She said turning away from him and packing her bag again.  
  
"Well, I WAS planning on doing that, but first I wanted to know WHY you left." He said looking up at her, waiting for her to answer.  
  
Akane finished packing her bag then turned back to Ranma.  
  
"I thought you said you read my note?" she asked passing him and walking out of the tent, Ranma following.  
  
"I DID!" he exclaimed, watching her rip the tent down.  
  
"Then you should KNOW why I left." She said stuffing the tent into its bag as if it were a dead animal that no one cared about.  
  
"Nothing in that note told me the reason why you left!" Ranma said, as he clenched his fists in frustration.  
  
"I didn't say it forward! Any smart person would've been able to figure it out! If you read it again then maybe just maybe you'll figure it out!" she yelled, turning in the opposite direction and walking off.  
  
"Akane! Wait!" yelled Ranma walking after her.  
  
"Leave me alone Ranma! Why don't you go bother one of your fiancés? Cause I'm sure not one of them anymore!" she screamed as she started to run.  
  
Ranma was about to follow her, but decided to hold back. "Ugh! I hate it when she does this!" Then he kicked a rock and slowly started to walk the direction she had ran.  
  
Nabiki quickly opened her eyes as she heard her father scream in shocked and worry  
  
*What the hell is going on?* she thought as she ran down the stairs and into the kitchen to see her father bawling like a baby on the floor, Genma hitting his head on the fridge door, and Kasumi trying to calm both of them.  
  
"What happened to dad?" Nabiki asked, standing in complete shock. Kasumi looked up at her younger sister and handed her a piece of paper.  
  
Nabiki quickly scanned the paper then handed it back to Kasumi. "So where's Ranma in all of this? Still sleeping?" she asked, disappointed that she couldn't see the young Martial Artist's reaction.  
  
"He's not here!" said Genma as he lifted his head from the fridge's surface to face the middle Tendo daughter.  
  
"He's not here? Then where is he?" she asked folding her arms.  
  
"I have no idea. My theory is that he went after Akane. Where else would he be at this time? He could've easily woken up before any of us, read the note, and took off after her." He said staring at Nabiki for an answer.  
  
Nabiki just shrugged her shoulders and peered down at her dad.  
"Well, if Ranma went after Akane, then why his daddy still bawling and not jumping for joy that Ranma's chasing her?" she asked, staring at the pitiful site in front of her.  
  
"Nabiki! Don't make father more upset than he already is! Do me a favor and make some nice warm tea and I'll accompany father!" exclaimed Kasumi as she turned back to her task.  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes and slumped over to the stove.  
  
Akane slowed her pace down to a walk. The morning was old now and she had been running since she had run into Ranma.  
  
*Why is he following me?* she thought to herself as she stopped in front of a local coffee shop, her stomach growling.  
  
"I've been running so much that I forgot about my stomach." She said walking inside. The old place wasn't very crowded and it seemed like a nice place to stop and eat something. She sat at the bar and set her backpack down between her feet.  
  
After a few minutes, a young man about three years older than Akane, walked up to her with a pen and a pad of paper.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked. His eyes were a sparkling dark brown and his hair was as dark as ink, his smile could make any girl feel warm and welcomed inside.  
  
"I . . . um . . . I'll have the uh . . . the number one . . . combo! No cheese!" she said looking away.  
  
"Alright, it'll be ready in a few minutes" he said walking through a red swinging door to the kitchen.  
  
Akane grabbed her chest and felt like she was about to die. He was so . . . gorgeous! And he seemed so polite. Maybe she should just stay here for the rest of her life?  
  
"He really got to ya huh?" said a voice from behind.  
Akane whipped around and saw a young girl in about her twenties.  
  
"Excuse me? What did you say?" asked Akane, giving the girl a puzzled look.  
  
The girl just laughed and sat next to Akane. She had a pink dress that was 6 or 7 inches above her knees that buttoned up at the top with a white collar, a white apron wrapped around her waste. She had dark brown hair that was to her shoulders and beautiful blue eyes that shined bright when she was facing the sun.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Akane as the girl rested her elbows on the countertop.  
  
"Oh nothing! I was just laughing at how long you stared at my brother!" she said smirking.  
  
"He's you brother?!?!" asked Akane as the young man walked up to her again, carrying her order.  
  
"Here ya go! A number one combo with no melted cheese!" he said placing the plate in front of Akane. He gave her a quick wink and walked back to the kitchen.  
  
Akane melted in her chair and sighed.  
  
"Just what I thought!" said the girl next to her. Akane had forgotten she was there and quickly pulled herself together.  
  
"So . . . HE is your brother?" asked Akane looking at the kitchen door out of the corner of her eye.  
  
The girl nodded and grabbed Akane's hand. "I'm Wendy by the way! Nice to meet ya!" she said shaking Akane's hand violently.  
  
"Uh . . . yeah! Nice to meet you too!" she said pulling her hand away before she didn't have one anymore.  
  
"Like my little bro then huh?"  
  
"What gave you that idea?" asked Akane turning away.  
  
"Oh give me a break! Every new girl that comes in here likes my brother! So it don't surprise me! And I can tell the way you look at him, you like him!" she said grinning, showing a mouthful of crooked teeth.  
  
Akane gave a weak smile and continued eating her food.  
  
"His name is Koji by the way." She said getting up and walking away to the kitchen.  
  
Akane smiled. *He has a nice bod AND a nice name!* she thought reaching into her pocket.  
  
It was empty.  
  
*Oh no! I forgot to get some money before I left! Great!*  
  
As a small stone about the size of a quarter bounced down the street, Ranma Soatome slowly walked down an empty street. He had been walking ever since he had met up with Akane that morning, and thinking.  
  
*I still don't get what she meant! 'Why don't you go bother one of your fiancés? Cause I'm sure not one of them anymore!' I mean, she's called off our engagement so many times I can't even count, but I've never seen her THIS serious about it. I guess I must've really hurt her feelings this time. Grr! Damn you! Why can't I can't I just tell her how I feel? Then if she doesn't feel the same way then me and Pops will go back home to mom! But if it seems so easy then how come I never tell her? Is it because I'm scared of what she'd say? Or is it because I'm better off NOT knowing?*  
  
Ranma scratched his head and kept walking. He would figure this out when he's caught up with Akane again and convinced her to come home. Just then, Ranma heard the sound of a bell, but it wasn't just any ordinary bell, it was the sound of a . . . bike bell.  
  
*Oh no! Don't tell me it's . . .*  
  
"Ugh!!!" Ranma groaned as a five pound wheel slammed in into his skull.  
  
"There you are Ranma! We been looking everywhere for you!" said the high voice of a young girl that Ranma knew too well who it was that was talking to him.  
  
"Shampoo! What the heck are YOU doing here?! And how did you know where I was?!" asked Ranma pulling himself from under the bike and facing the purple haired Chinese girl.  
  
"Shampoo hear that Ranma go after Akane and so she come to stop Ranma from making terrible mistake!"  
  
"Yeah! And I came to ask you WHY you went after Akane in the first place!" exclaimed a young brown haired girl with a spatula strapped around her curvy figure.  
  
"Uchann? You came too? How did you guys find me?" asked Ranma getting really confused on the situation.  
  
"It wasn't too hard really . . ." Ukyo started as she hopped off Shampoo's bike.  
  
"We just go to town border and go from there!" finished Shampoo jumping up and wrapping her arms around Ranma's neck.  
  
"Now will Ranma come home with Shampoo?" she asked resting her head on Ranma's chest.  
  
*Oh man! I really wish Akane was here right now!*  
  
******************************************************************* Thanks for reading! Keep reading and reviewing and I'll post up another chapter! 


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